Falling into despair
by Heathcliff Belize
Summary: So you'd like to hear a story... well gather around and listen closely. This time the hero of Albion needs to be saved from his own sins (setting: after fable 3).
1. prolouge

Prologue

 _In the darkness of a forgotten forest three adventurers sit around a small campfire. There is an elf woman, Relia the princess of the eastern woodland, Link, the hero, and Despair, the mysterious tiefling rogue. They are sharing stories from their homelands as a sort of bonding activity._

 _"Then they rode off into the sunset and lived in happiness for the rest of their days," said Relia, as she concluded her story._

 _"I liked that one a lot," said Link, with a smile._

 _"it was interesting, for a romance," said Despair._

 _"well thank you … Despair you know that it's your turn now," said Relia, with a sly smile._

 _Despair stoked the fire. He said nothing as his formerly happy expression changed to one of deep thought and anger._

 _"Uh… Despair are you ok?" asked Link._

 _"…. huh?... oh! … yes I'm fine just thinking," said Despair._

 _"We can skip your turn if you don't have a story to tell," said Relia._

 _"No, I have one. It's just a bit longer than yours. Actually, a lot longer," Despair said, with a false smile._

 _"So…?" said Link and Relia, in unison. Despair sighed._

 _"Okay, this is a true story, so don't laugh. One thousand years ago, in a forgotten realm, there was a land. A powerful, land of magic, and machinery. It was called Albion…"_

"If we don't stop this now, no one ever will because if it goes on like this there will be no one left!" shouted Page.

"Agreed, he broke all the promises he's made us! Just look at Mistpeak; the state it's in, stripped of life. My people starve! Your people starve!" agreed Sabine.

"The only thing he's done is put the gold Albion slaves for in his pockets. My people fend for themselves alone against the spawn of darkness incarnate," protested Kalin.

"Do you have anything to add … Ben Finn?" asked Page.

"There's nothing more to say besides Edward is a terrible king and an even worse person. Even worse than his brother. Cares for no one else but himself. It's a shame we ever trusted that boy! He just played the angel to fool us all into helping him," interrupted Sabine.

"Shut it, Sabine!... Ben you haven't spoken for the whole meeting, are you in or what?"asked Page.

"I am, I was just trying not to react. Believe me I'm the most hurt by what he's done. You should have seen him fighting walter when he was possessed. It was like he didn't even care that Walter was still in there and able to feel everything, but the way Edward was fighting was the real scary part. It was almost like…" said Ben, being interrupted.

"Like he was a demon. Yes, we've heard your crackpot story often enough Give it a rest for once, boy," interrupted Sabine.

Ben was silent. He just snorted and turned away from the group.

"Stop it, the both of you… we're here to discuss how to bring down the tyrant, the hero king Edward. Not squabble among ourselves!" shouted Page, slapping the table with her hand.

"We've raided the castle before we can do it again. Remember almost the whole army is on our side, not to mention every able bodied citizen of Albion " said Ben Finn.

"He'll be expecting that. There's no telling what kind of counter measures he's got in place, or even improvisable ones. The king is still a hero, so there's no telling what he can dredge up," said page.

"so then we must find a more secret entrance to the castle," concluded Sabine.

"There's only one. Walter spoke of it before we returned to Albion. He was in a daze though. He said a tunnel to the catacombs but nothing more," said Kaylin.

"Then I may have something for you," said a mysterious voice.

The group all turned to see, Jasper the king's butler, holding the King's most prized possession, The Guild Seal.

"What is the king's pet doing here!" demanded Page.

"I'm here to give you the seal, as an order from the king," said Jasper.

He put the seal on the map table and began to walk away when suddenly Ben Finn's sword blade was right in front of his face.

"What kind of joke is this!" growled Ben.

"I was merely told by the king to bring you the seal and then I was free to go do whatever I wanted with my life" said Jasper calmly.

Ben lowered his sword and let Jasper pass.

"What are you doing!" shouted Sabine.

"I let him go because Jasper has never been one to lie not even to his master's enemies," said Ben.

"But it is hard to believe that the king would give up the Guild Seal" said Page.

She picked up the guild seal and suddenly the room was filled with the king's laughter. And then the guild seal dissolved into black fog that enveloped the four. When it dissipated the four found themselves in the foyer of the castle. It was a sight, the once grand and beautiful castle was now ugly to look at. The walls were soiled, caked with mud, blood, and leaves. Cobwebs weaved across the whole ceiling. Piles and piles of gold were on the floor creating a carpet of shimmering coins that were stained with blood.

"He hasn't even used any of this gold," said Kaylin.

"That bastard Walter could have survived, that bastard!… With this much gold he could have built a hundred armies to beat the Crawler, in it's hell hole before it ever came to our shores," said Ben Finn, kicking a pile of coins.

Where he disturbed the gold, black ooze began to bubble up from under the coins. It was rising quickly and was bubbling up from under the coins. The group were all back to back as they watched the black ooze dripping up.

"It's exactly like the crawlers ooze," said Page.

"This is the king's doing, this proves he's too far gone to save," shouted Sabine.

Suddenly a fountain of the black ooze exploded up, showering the group in it. Kaylin noticed that the stairs, though covered in loose coinage, were mostly intact, and relatively untouched by the ooze.

"To the stairs!" shouted Kaylin.

The black ooze was several inches deep now and growing deeper by the second. They started to run to the stairs, but were being slowed down by the thick liquid. Ben was the first to the staircase, the ooze was two feet deep now, Page was next to scramble up on to the filthy steps. Next was Kaylin, the ooze was three feet deep now, Ben and Page had to pull her up on to the stairs. Sabine was stuck now with his head centimeters above the ooze.

"Sabine!" said Page shocked and pointing out at Sabine, to notify Ben and Kaylin.

"Christ, Sabine can you swim to us?" asked Ben.

"I can't! I don't know how," coughed Sabine.

"Dammit, I'll get Sabine you two continue to the throne room," said Ben.

"No! You'll get stuck too" said Page grabbing Ben's arm.

"I don't care we can't leave him to die!" shouted Ben.

Page let go of his arm, then he dove into the black ooze and swam to Sabine to pull him out. Once Sabine was safe on the stairs and Ben was starting to climb out when, a phantom force grabbed him and pulled him back under the ooze.

" Ben Finn! " shrieked Page almost diving in herself.

For almost two minutes there was no sign of him below the surface of the ooze. When suddenly Ben burst out of the ooze gasping and floundering towards the staircase. Once his comrades pulled him to safety on the staircase, he spent the next few minutes coughing up the black ooze.

"It's blood … the black stuff is black blood," said Ben still coughing.

"Rancid blood… from where?" asked Kaylin.

"Probably all the kings victims. Mercenaries, soldiers, animals, townspeople, the hundreds he's murdered," said Page.

"That doesn't matter now, let's go" said Ben, coldly.

The four continued up the stairs to the second floor where the throne room was. At the top of the stairs was a set of double doors. Through the doors was an empty room with two halls on either side and another set of closed double doors that lead to the throne room.

"Now it's time to end this," said Page

"Should we knock… no let's surprise it," said Ben.

"Oh ho let's give the devil some hell, " said Sabine pulling several bundles of TNT from his vest.

They drew their weapons, Page and Ben kicked the doors hard enough to knock them off their hinges. Beyond the door they saw only black, abrand of darkness like none they had seen before. It was shifting like it was alive. Then suddenly the chandelier right above them lit with blue flame, as did the candles in the sconces on either side of the door. One by one each of them lit until every light in the room was alive with blue flame. And when the room was lit with it's eerie blue glow, it dazzled of the enormous piles of gold that filled the floor. Mixed with the gold coins there were bits of bone, and armor, and rusty weapons, The whole place smelled of rotten blood and other filth. The walls of the throne room were like the front hall, disgusting and covered in filth. On the other side of the room around the throne long claw marks were cut deep into the wall, along with scorch marks the whole place looked as if someone had already attacked. The once beautiful stained glass window behind the throne was now tainted with dirt and what little light that came through was dingy compared to the blue flame candles. The throne itself was cut clean in half and upturned on the stair leading up to the thrones original platform. And standing on that platform, was the king, wearing his royal armor, his new crown was made of a dark metal that twisted like the roots of a tree. His face was gaunt, eyes rimmed with dark circles, his skin pale as a ghost, lips a sickening blue like he was cold. Raven colored hair hung limp around his face, plastered on to his head by sweat and filth. The familiar scar across his face, three claw marks going from the left side of his forehead, to the right side of his jaw, dark against the paleness of his face. Rancid blood and mud tarnished the blue and gold of the royal armor. In one hand he held the sword named Souldrinker, rifle across his back. And despite the blue light a red aura hung around the king adding to his demonic ghost-like charm.

"I suspected you would come eventually, to kill me, no doubt. And who could blame you? I have killed many who probably didn't deserve it, not to mention ignoring your stupid promises,"said the king.

"You monster you killed thousands of innocent people. It's because of you that your people are dying and they are poor and starving, you deserve too..." said Kaylin, interrupted by the King shooting her in the head.

"Oh sorry, about that but your endless prattle about how I'm a horrible human being was getting quite dull," yawned the king.

"you're no longer fit to rule Albion," growled Ben Finn.

"Pah! ha ha ha! and do you think you or anyone else can?" cackled the king.

"Don't listen to it talk! it's just trying to distract us," whispered Page.

"It! I am an it now. Tell me does it make you feel better about killing me if you write me off as something less that human?" asked the king.

"We don't need to hear you question us, after all you've done to this country and it's people," shouted Ben.

"What i've done? what i've done was save this country from the darkness. I didn't have to sacrifice everything to save you ungrateful people," said the king, growing angry.

" you're not fit to rule now, surrender or we'll blow you to hell where you belong!" threatened Sabine.

The king was visibly getting angry as the conversation continued, and strange things began to happen. His skin appeared to darken to gray then black. His eyes clouded over and became pure white. Horns grew from his skull and curled down and forwards so they stuck out just past his chin. His hair lightened to pure white. A tail lashed side to side appearing as if to show the king's anger

"I grow tired of this!, If you want the throne then you may have it, but be warned what you have all helped create will not easily be quelled!" shouted the king. He took the crown and threw it through the window. Then he ran towards the group and then past them, and outside, shedding bits of armor as he went. once outside the light of the sun seemingly vaporized him into black mist. With that the Tyrant hero king of Albion was gone to who knows where.

 _"I don't think I like this story Despair," said Link quietly._

 _"Then you shouldn't have asked for one," said Despair._

 _"Uh… Despair, this doesn't seem like a story for children," whispered Relia._

 _"Link isn't a child; he's a hero," said Despair slightly sarcastically._

 _"Yes but he's still young. I think this story is too much for him right now," whispered Relia._

 _"No it isn't!" insisted Link._

 _"So do you want to hear the rest?" asked Despair._

 _"Don't it's too intense" warned Relia._

 _"Yes I would like to hear the rest" said Link._

 _Despair added another log to the fire, then continued his tale._

 _" Alright, and so…"_


	2. Shattered silence

Bowerstone Market

November 24

The streets of Bowerstone were quiet in the early morning. A light mist hung over the buildings. Somewhere a dog barks. The sound of it's bark tells that it is frightened to anyone who can hear it. Soon it grows silent once more and the city of Bowerstone begins to wake up. Shop owners began to open their shops, traveling traders opened their stalls and once the sun was up the streets of Bowerstone were filled with people and carriages. There was noise in every corner the city, people were going this way and that way going through their daily life without a care in the world.

This is how life became after the last king of albion disappeared, the country rose from that time very fast and efficiently. It seemed that the whole of Albion was eager to build a better future for themselves, and so they developed a democracy. With the gold that the king horded and left when he disappeared the council had built up the economy easily. So now ten years later people have forgotten, or at least don't acknowledge the events of the past. And they live, happily, peacefully, unaware of something waiting in the shadows watching. As the streets became more lively as the sun rose, a dark figure retreated from the mouth of the alley. Ben Finn, who was at the Bakery across the street with his wife Miranda, who was pregnant and almost ready to give birth. They were of course there to buy bread, when Ben caught a glimpse of the figure as it ran back into the alley the flutter of the figures cloak was what caught his gaze. For a second the only thing Ben thought of was he knew that person.

"Are you alright, dear?" asked Miranda

"Yes just lost in thought I suppose," said Ben shaking the feeling from his mind.

They purchased what they came for and returned home to their two children. One seven-years-old the boy named David, the other a four year old girl named Eleanor. They greeted their father with laughter and hugs, which he returned. Then they ran off again to play in the garden together. Ben watched them through the window as they played among the wilting flowers and multicolored leaves from the now barren trees. The peaceful silence was broken only by their joyful laughs, and the occasional rattle of a passing carriage. Then Ben noticed something odd in the alley of two buildings across from their house. It was a person, in a grey cloak standing just in the shadows, watching silently. Ben stared at the figure and for a second it seemed like they made eye contact. Light flashed off the figure's eyes and Ben felt afraid of it. Then the figure seemed to realize that Ben saw him, and it shrank back into the shadows, gone for now.

the next day

morning

Ever since the fall of the hero king ten years previously, life for everyone was peaceful, and in Ben Finn's eyes it was too peaceful. His whole life he was used to the constant battle for survival, the need to hang on to one's life and nothing else. Now life was dull. There were no real threats to deal with no one needed to kill or be killed. And yet it seemed that no one was really living. It was like like they were merely doing actions to sustain life but weren't truly living. This complacency was infuriating for some, Ben was one of them. He just longed for something more than the existence that he felt he was condemned to. Today was his youngest child's birthday and they were going to the theater. On the way back they were going out for lunch and later they were going to have cake together.

noon time

As they exited the theater into the light of midday, it burned their eyes for a minute while they adjusted. The two young children were just excited to not be in the stuffy theater anymore. They were quite rowdy in fact, and kept running about in a most unsightly fashion. They were going here, there and everywhere much to the annoyance of their parents who tried to calm them down, so they would not be made a fool of. But the children were not swayed from acting as they pleased. The youngest daughter was given a new doll earlier and was currently swinging it around. And in an unfortunate instant it came from her hand, flew into the air and landed in the middle of the cobble stone street. Ben was distracted with his son and did not notice his youngest going into the road to reclaim her doll, until he heard his wife shriek. There was that instant before he acted, when he saw the carriage with its heavy wooden design and the six identical white horses pulling it. Then he reacted and ran. The world seemed to go in slow motion, the carriage was coming too fast he wasn't going to make it. Eleanor was turning back to run back to her parents, but that put her straight in the carriage's path. The driver of the carriage yanked the reins to stop the horses, to no avail I'm afraid, Ben Finn's little girl was going to die. Suddenly right beside him so close he could feel the air currents moving, Ben saw a fluttering dark grey cloak. It moved past him unbelievably fast, towards Eleanor, who was crying as even she knew what was about to happen. In an instant the cloaked figure pushed eleanor towards her father and out of harm's way. Ben caught his daughter and fell back on the side of the road. The mysterious cloaked figure was not spared though and was trampled by the horses and the carriage.

Soon a crowd had gathered around the cloaked man who still lay untouched by anyone in the middle of the street. They may have all just been waiting for a doctor to show up, or they might have just assumed he was dead. But the fact was no one was going any closer than a few feet towards him. Ben still sat on the side of the road with his crying daughter in his arms. He was still trying to process the sequence of events leading to the present. Then someone gasped and the crowd backed even more. The cloaked man was stirring, he tried to get up but fell, after a few tries he got his feet under him and pulled himself up. Staggering a bit he headed towards Ben, then passed him and disappeared into the darkness of a nearby heard something whispered to him as the cloaked man passed him by.

"That's what he would have done,"

He did not know what was meant by that but it did not calm him any more than the small trail of blood going into the alley. Not gushes of it just a few specks in a horribly crooked line. What disturbed Benjamin the most was that it was black blood. His wife rushed over and took their daughter from Ben's arms, and hugged the sobbing child close to her chest. A twelve year old boy comes over leading a doctor behind him. Then the doctor checks both Ben and Eleanor for injury. Besides a few bruises and racked nerves the two were fine. After that Ben and his family went straight home, Eleanor went for a much needed nap, and Ben had a much needed swig of whiskey.

Later that day: night

The sun was no more that a small streak of red orange on the horizon above the rooftops of Bowerstone. Benjamin was smoking his pipe by one of the windows facing the garden. The window was open to let the smoke escape into the evening sky. He was mulling over the day's events, the thing with the carriage, his daughter almost being trampled, the hooded man, and the trail of black blood. It all seemed too surreal for it to have actually happened. The sun finally disappeared under the horizon, the street lamps casting dim light across the streets of Bowerstone. Ben stared blankly out at the street. His gaze passed by the alley directly across from their garden. The street lamp there was broken. Seconds later it flashed and Ben glimpsed the hooded man standing under it. Then it flashed on again and there he stood, he lifted his hand and put one finger on his lips, then gestured for Ben to come. Ben smothered his pipe and headed outside, through his garden. Unlike during the day the garden was quite eerie at night, and the cool November air was chilling him to the bone.

"So what do you want?" asked Ben.

"Is she alright?"asked the hooded man quietly.

"Yes thanks to you, I'll ask a gain what do you want?"

"I just wanted to know if your little girl was fine"

"that can't be it don't think that I haven't noticed that you have been following me and my family for the last few days,"

"I know you saw me I have to though to keep your family safe,"

"I ain't going to listen to another word until you start making sense"

"Fine! I had a vision of the future, one in which your family is destroyed, I had it because I think that I'm supposed to keep that from happening,"

"You know that none of this makes a lick of sense,"

"I do"

"Well thank you again for today. I thought I was going to lose her for a second there,"

The hooded man turned to leave,"There is no problem that is what heroes are supposed to do,"

Then he disappeared again into the darkness of the alley way. Ben was a bit disturbed by that last sentence, that is what heroes are supposed to do. That sounded familiar like something. Oh no! He knew exactly what that sounded like, actually who it sounded like, The Old King. The slightly rattled Ben went back to his house.

Much much later…

It had been weeks since the incident with the carriage, and Ben had not seen the hooded figure since that night. He still suspected that the hooded man was the king, but for fear of the asylum Ben kept his thoughts to himself. Life was quiet again since that day. Ben's wife had given birth to another healthy boy just a few days ago, and they were getting used to having a new member of the family. From the shadows there lurked the hooded figure like a guardian angel watching over all. Also hidden just out of sight a gang of mercenaries stalk the happy little family waiting for the right time to strike.

That night

Ben was returning home from as a town guard. Since the fall of the king this was the only work a former revolutionary like Ben could get. It was a very boring job but the only one he had. And tonight he seemed very agitated. Ben just somehow knew that something was wrong. That is when he saw them. A group of six rough looking men entering the house from the side door. Fear starts clawing at the back of his mind, and he runs towards the house hoping that he was just tired and seeing things. Once in the house he shouted for his wife. No answer. He ran through the house searching for his family. Then he finds them in the master bedroom his wife sat on the bed with the baby in her arms, and the two other kids cowering at her sides. The six men stood around the bed assorted weapons in their hands pointed at them. The most rough looking of the bunch,seemingly the leader turned to the baffled Ben Finn.

"Well look who decided to show up., Ben Finn! You're the one we're looking for,"said the leader.

"Yeah and why is that ?"Ben asked, reaching slowly inside his coat for his spare pistol.

"Heck if I know. Someone just paid us to, with a generous extra if we didn't ask questions,"

"Did they pay enough for the medical bills?" Asked a mystery voice.

" huh? " asked the group in unison.

Suddenly one of the mercenaries fell dead, with a rusty dagger sticking out of his back. Behind him there stood the hooded man silhouetted against the light of the setting sun, coming in from the window.

"Hello, my friend," he said smiling, his teeth gleaming white against his dark form.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" growled the gang's leader, pointing his gun at the hooded man.

"Who am I?...heh... If I knew the answer to that I'd tell ya," he whispered with venom in his voice.

"Boss this guy is off his rocker! let's just kill him!"grumbled one of the lackies.

"That may be more difficult than you think," said the hooded man, with a grin.

"Ahhrg! Let's just kill this pissmop!" shouted another mercenary.

The two mercenaries rushed at the hooded man, weapons drawn the last mistake they would make. The hooded man stood his ground as the two advanced, one with a cleaver the other with a cutlass. They were seconds from striking him down when in a flash he grabbed the two blades and wrenched them from the mercenaries hands. He buried the cleaver deep into the brain of one, killing the rogue instantly. The other was still willing to fight bare handed. The hooded man cocked his head to the side almost confused by the mercenary's raised fists. Then he swung the cutlass, separating the rogues fists from the rest of his arms. He fell screaming on the floor. The hooded man smiled at the pained screams. The rest of the Mercenaries were starting to freak out. Well, all but their boss, who was shouting at his men, trying to get them under control, to no avail though they were obviously of weak constitution, and mind.

"Quit yer lily livered cowering we got a job to do!" he shouted to his remaining men.

"Yeah, let's kill these buggers!" shouted another.

The hooded man stepped on the wrists of the handless one, making him cry out in pain.

"Why would you want to do that? Death is easy… killing is easy, but the toll it takes on your soul is the part that gets you " said the hooded man, grinding his heel into the mercenaries wrist.

" someone just shut this son of a whore up " said the boss.

They all attacked the hooded man at once. He dodged and blocked them. Ben and his family watched the hooded man fight and in that moment Ben knew that his gut feeling was right. He fought against those mercenaries… like a demon. The hooded man knocked the boss back, but the boss didn't go to join the fight again. Instead he turned to the frightened wife and children. He pulled his gun on them, Ben saw this and tackled the mercenary. They grappled Ben tried to get the gun out of his hands to no avail. Their hands closed around the guns handle, one of their fingers closed on the trigger. In an instant everything went silent save for the sound of the gun firing. Ben looked up at his wife who sat there, her eyes wide gasping for air. She looked down at the bullet wound, A clean shot that went straight through her chest and the head of the infant she held in her arms. She stopped breathing and slumped forwards...Dead. The blood from her and the baby stained the sheets in a large pool that slowly grew. Ben was stunned It was like all his strength was stolen he could not move or speak. The mercenary's boss loaded his gun again and pointed it at Ben. The hooded man saw this and he turned away from his fight for a second, and a blade struck him going straight through his chest. The boss cocked his gun, Ben just sat there, the children screamed. The hooded man ran, the blade still stuck in his chest. He grabbed the boss's arm and pushed it up. A second time the gun goes off and the sound of the shot is joined by the sound of bone shattering. Something odd falls into Ben's lap, a broken piece of a horn. Ben is snapped out of his daze. He looks up, the hooded man stands before him. His hood had been blown back revealing, pure white hair and his horns one fine, the other a shattered stump. A tail, long, with pitch black skin uncoiled from under the hooded mans cloak. He used it to pull the blade from his own chest. He pointed the tip of the blade at the Boss.

"Your friend ruined my favorite only shirt."

He was about to plunge the blade into the mercenary's eye, but Ben grabbed his arm.

"Wait, he could be useful," Ben told him.

"They're here to kill. If we leave any alive more will surely come," growled the hooded man.

"Edward, we can use him for information."

"That name has no more meaning. That man is dead,"

They stood facing each other for a second. The hooded man saw in Ben's eyes that he was serious. He dropped the blade and let go of the boss's arm.

"Fine, we'll leave one alive,"

The mercenaries boss was holding a liquor bottle with an oily rag shoved into the top. The rag was burning… he lifted his arm to throw it. The hooded man pushed Ben towards the bed, as the bottle flew through the air. Ben landed hard on the floor just shy of the bed. The bottle hit the hooded man and burst apart showering him with liquor, the burning rag ignited the liquid, and he was engulfed in fire. The flames spread across the room. The mercenaries grabbed the two children and fled. Ben got up and tried to follow them, but the fire was spreading too fast and his way out was blocked. The hooded man was just laying unmoving in a heap on the floor. Ben left him there and went for the only escape route there was... through the window. He fell down two floors and landed in the garden. Dull pain throbbed through his legs, he got up and ran out of the garden. Just in time to see the group of mercenaries disappearing into an alley across the street. Ben tried to follow but they were too far ahead, and he lost them. His daughter was screaming for him but the sound was too faint and echoed too much for him to be sure where it was coming from. In defeat, he fell to his knees and slammed his fists against the cobblestones over and over. After almost breaking his hands, he stopped and began to cry. He was alone, absolutely alone No other soul came to help, no other soul would care. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder he smacked it away, then stood up and turned to the hooded man. The hooded man was wheezing, and smoking slightly, his clothes were muddy and wet, and terribly burned. His hood was up again, so his face was blacked out. Ben was suddenly angry at him so filled with rage that he wanted to attack and kill him.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't come back, this would have never happened!" shouted Ben.

"Yes, it would have! Don't you see? They were after you! Not me! If I hadn't been there, you would've all died!"

"You didn't save them! Because of you my wife, the love of my life, and my child are dead!"

"You are being irrational, Benjamin, I was not the one who pulled the trigger, nor the one to point the gun."

"But you could have saved them from that fate! If you're so powerful, king edward"

"I told you that name had no more meaning! And that man is dead to me! I want to move on but I know I can't. Not after what I did..."

"damn right!"

"I will help you get your son and your daughter back."

"I don't want any of your help you slimy demon, of the abyss!"

"Slimy… that's a first. Never had anyone call me that before… anyway you'll need my help. It's not like one man can take down a whole mercenary camp. Only a hero or an army can!"

"You have, alone, and you survived, "

"That was then! I can't even use magic any more!"

"What!?"

"Yes, I haven't been able to use any form of magic since that day... ten years ago"

"Then how do you think that we can get them back from those mercenaries?"

"The ability to use magic is not what make a hero a hero. At one point I thought I knew but now… oh I just don't know any more..."

"I don't care either way, as long as I can find my children again"

"That I can help with… but we can't stay here for long. That fire has drawn some unwanted attention," he said, as he started walking deeper into the alley away from the fire.

"Agreed, but I still don't trust you,"

"I do not blame you,"

Then Ben followed the hooded man as he wound his way deeper into the maze of buildings that made up Bowerstone Old Quarter. After awhile, Ben was beginning to get tired of just following the former King around the shady parts of Bowerstone.

"Edward, where are we going?"

"That name has no meaning,"

"If you won't let me call you your proper name, then what should I call you?"

"The criminal underworld has given another name… now that I think about it, it is quite fitting for me..."

"well…?"

"The assassin like a wave of darkness. A nameless demon if he seeks you out, face him and despair…. one of the many stories they tell about me,"

"Despair... fitting."

"I did not choose it, but I kind of like it, and it's useful when in the criminal underworld's many markets and hide outs."

"Is that where we're headed?"

"Indeed," confirmed Despair.

 _"what?" shouted Relia and Link in unison._

 _"I'll have no more interruptions" Despair said, coldly._

 _"But Despair, This story is about you! " said Relia._

 _"As I was saying… "continued Despair._


	3. A pleasant walk

Under Bowerstone old quarter

several minutes later

"nice place how long did it take you to find this place, and these books?" Asked ben glancing through an ancient tome.

"at least five years, I can't say for sure time just doesn't pass quite right for me, I can't remember some details about that day"

"now you're just talking crazy… time passes the same for everyone" muttered Ben.

They were in an old cellar of a house that was destroyed in the battle that took down King logan, and never rebuilt. Despair had claimed it as his own which was easy enough no one even lived in this section of the old quarter. Over the years he had gathered some very sparse and rejected furnishings he scrounged from various trash heaps. And books he had two old and broken shelves that were filled with books of varying sizes and prints most were older than the shelves they sat on. They were mostly in different languages lost to the centuries, yet for some reason despair felt the need to collect them some how he could read them. How far he had fallen from a king to a rouge living in a cellar using broken crates as tables and a hammock as a bed.

" I'd like to ask something Ben " Despair said quietly.

" what "

" did I make her suffer when I killed her… The women from Aurora "

" kaylin… and no clean one shot in the head "

" what else did I do? "

" you threw the crown away, then It was like the daylight just made you disappear… Poof "

" odd "

" ya mean that you don't remember any of that bit?"

" No i'm afraid that I don't, it's all a blur… but! I can feel the weight on my soul that day Kaylin was not the only one to be brought down by my hand "

" what does it matter to you the amount of people that you kill… I saw it ya slaughtered that whole village in the silver pines… just left their bodies there for the balverines to eat "

" that was before ten years ago… still I shall give no excuse for my actions, that was a horrible thing to do, I feel the weight of every person I kill in my soul "

" If that be the case then your soul must be pretty cumbersome "

" indeed It almost feels like it has a mountain weighing it down sometimes "

" well boo hoo your story is makin' me cry a river o' salt "

" thank you for your concern for my mental well being "

Despair sighed and donned his cloak, when he pulled up his hood it appeared as if he did not have horns nor a tail.

" how'd the…? "

" This garment is enchanted, It holds the power to render me in the form of a human "

Benjamin shrugged as Despair opened the cellar door and exited disappearing into the lingering mist of the night. And Ben was left alone in the cellar while Despair was off doing whatever he was doing. From an initial glance the cellar hideout seemed quite boring other than Despairs collection of books. But Ben decided it would be worth a good look, and so while Despair was gone Ben snooped through the books. Finding that the ones in english were about magic, and one book the most interesting of all was Despair journal. He did not read it as he was fearful of the contents of Despairs mind that he spilled over those pages. The events of the past several hours seemed too surreal, like the day his little girl almost got run over. Now he was stuck in a cellar, alone in the lair of his most hated enemy. With one activity to do at the current time… wait for Despair's return. Seconds to minutes and then to hours, then Ben began to think a peek at the journal would dull the boredom. He slowly opened the cover and caught a glimpse of the writing within. It was perfect, but as he flipped through the pages, not reading it just examining the writing. The letters were perfect but as Ben went on they became more slanted, even unreadable at times they were so messy. He got to the last page and was surprised by what he found. There was just one sentence on that page one single sentence scribbled all over the page.

 **Please I want to Die**

The pages of the book fluttered slightly as if a breeze passed through the room.

"What are you doing?" asked Despair

Ben slammed the book closed and whipped around to see despair standing behind him. Looking particularly frightening because ben could only see his eyes, those pure white empty voids.

" uh..I… um…" Ben stuttered.

"You were reading my journal… why?" asked Despair.

"Well I was...and then you see it just fell open and I guess I saw a little…"

"Oh! it just fell open, while it was sitting untouched in the direct center of my table" Said Despair sarcastically.

"It's not like that at all"

"It is like that… I will not act rash but I request that you keep your nose out of my private journal!"

"I-It won't happen again"

Then Despair gave him a wide fake grin "that's good, And I apologize for being gone without a proper explanation"

"Why were you gone for that long?"

"I had to get some information… and pick up a few things if you were going to be able to help"

Despair handed Ben a large package wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied with a white string. Ben opened it to find a cloak similar to the one that Despair was wearing but dark blue (and not charred to rags).

"Why would I need a cloak?"

"Because While I was out Guess who I saw"

"Who?"

"The arse who lit me on fire and the bugger I cut the hands off of."

"Seriously why didn't you capture them or better yet kill them!"

"Because my skill set stresses stealth there were too many witnesses, besides they were not the only ones there, they had a large group of mercenaries with them too many to fight safely"

"says the man who was recently run through with a sword without complaint"

"I mean it would have been unsafe for the bystanders if I did try to fight them"

"Since when did you care"

Despair was silent he turned away from Ben and dropped another package on a table.

"that still doesn't explain why I need a cloak"

"I overheard some of their conversation from what I did hear they think that we're dead from the fire"

"So…."

"So you will wear this whenever you leave this cellar so that your identity will stay hidden"

"Hide my identity sure, but won't it look a little suspicious?"

"True this was all I could afford though, at least right now"

"that is an odd sentence coming from you"

"do you not recall that the total sum of my wealth was donated to the national treasury after I had gone"

"Oh.. right"

"Indeed I now have less than I ever had before"

"Oh poor you" said Ben pretending to swoon.

"have you no pity?"

"not for you slime"

Despair sighed and removed his charred cloak. He unwrapped a new one, that was a slightly darker grey that his old one. Ben saw Despairs broken horn, his white hair, and pitch black skin. This visage conjured memories of that day ten years ago, they came suddenly in a red haze. When they concluded Ben found himself with his hands around Despair's throat. Despair threw him off.

"What the hell!" Despair coughed.

"I-I don't know what came over me."

Despair glared at him

"What! I don't want to kill you…"

"..."

"... least ways not until we get my children back"

"Reassuring"

Despair stood and helped Ben to his feet. He then donned his new cloak which he had imbued with the spell as the other so when he had the hood up he appeared human. A very pricey item yes… but Despair always got a ten fingered discount on such items. Then he fastened a sheath to his belt and inspected the sword blade before sliding it into the sheath.

"On a more positive note I think that I know where the mercenaries from last night are headed"

"...Where then?"

"The only mercenary camp around"

"Saker"

Despair smiled and handed Ben a cutlass and a pistol.

 _The three sat in silence Despair had taken a pause from his story. Relia stared down at her feet her expression was sad and of concern. Link had moved from his spot by the campfire to a rock a fair distance away. He had his back to Despair presumably contemplating what he had just heard. After a few minutes Relia got up and dropped something on the ground and began to walk away._

" _I need to take a walk" she said her voice catching in her throat._

" _Relia…." Despair said_

" _No don't… just don't want to hear any more"_

 _Despair picked up the item that she dropped. It was the necklace that Despair had given Relia as a gift. A small silver bell dented and tarnished with age and on a simple leather string. This bell had held so much value for Despair that he had let very few see it let alone wear it. Years ago it was a gift to him and he loved Relia so much he had given it to her. The story that he told her when he did was less than the truth. But he knew that if he had told her the truth that she would never love him. Despair sighed and put the necklace in his pocket, then looked down at his hands._

" _only fools yearn for what they cannot obtain?" Despair whispered to himself._

 _Dead leaves rustled nearby and Despair looked up to see link._

" _you're not a fool"_

" _Oh but I am, i'm naught but a poor old fool, how could I ever think that I could be with anyone"_

 _There was a short silence between the two companions._

" _How does it end?" Link blurted out._

" _What?" asked Despair._

" _Your story how does it end?"_

" _By your previous reactions it seemed like you don't wish to know the end of my tale"_

" _But it's rude to interrupt when an old person's telling stories"_

" _Despite your exterior you posses a great deal of politen… Wait! did you just make a joke of my earlier comment"_

" _Well if your are not lying then the time period of your story means that you are much older than you told us"_

" _So you've seen through my ruse"_

" _I'm smarter than I look"_

" _That is still debateable"_

" _Hey!"_

" _It is not wise to engage in a battle of wits with an old hero king"_

" _... just finish the story"_

" _Alright young man but you better sit and not interrupt anymore"_

 _Link quickly took his seat again and listened intently._

" _After we armed ourselves…"_

It was difficult trying to keep to the shadows. It was difficult especially since Ben was just about as stealthy as a bag of angry hobbs being roasted alive. They were trying to sneak onto the monorail so they could get to mist peak without having to cross mourningwood. They had made it to the monorail station, but the actual monorail was being closely guarded in fact the place was crawling with guards.

"Damn! we can't get past them without a confrontation" Muttered Despair.

" so what do you suggest we do now?"

"I don't know unless you're okay with heading into the tunnels and through mourningwood"

"But why are there so many guards"

"I don't know it is suspicious"

"You've overlooked a few details"

"and what details are those?"

"we aren't actually wanted by anyone"

"ah well that is… I feel quite the fool now"

"you should"

Then despair noticed something very disconcerting on a particular piece of paper glued to a wall. With a picture of Ben Finn on it, a wanted poster with his face on it. And another with a poor drawing of a hooded demon.

"actually I would not speak too hastily Ben take a look" Despair said pointing at the wanted poster.

"What the!? there are wanted posters for us, but I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Look closer they say high treason think hard... why would you be wanted for high treason"

"That's just it I haven't done anything of real merit in ten years"

"Obviously the new government doesn't think you're as angelic"

Ben stared at the poster in disbelief as he backed up into the wall and slid down into a sitting position.

despair sighed and tried to reassure him "Come on Benjamin, you've been wanted before, what makes this time so bad?"

"The last time my family wasn't at stake and it was for being a revolutionary with you"

"... and?"

"There was the whole kingdom after us"

"... Your point?"

"We can't keep to the shadows forever the two of us we will get caught sooner than later"

"You're right we need to get out of the city as fast as we can"

"Then what?"

"We do what all wanted criminals do"

"Run"

" _Then what?"_

" _I don't think that you'll find this next part at all pleasant"_

" _Come on Despair just tell me" wined Link.  
_ " _If you insist, but if you do in tend to vomit aim it_ away _from me"_

" _I promise"_

 _A twig crunched and Despair froze staring into the woods behind him. After a few seconds he turned back to Link._

" _What is it?" asked link._

 _Despair answered with a false smile "It's nothing just an animal or something"_

They trudged on, the water was waist high, and it wasn't just water. The worst part though was the smell at least for Despair the smell was the worst. To him every smell was amplified, so what stank for a human was positively disgusting for Despair. Right now he was just about ready to throw up. They were crossing the sewers of Bowerstone, to mourningwood.

"This place smells worse every time"coughed Ben.

"How long has it Been since the last time you were in the sewer?"

"Um… bloody hell I don't know"

"Well I try to avoid them, yet I find myself in these sewers more often than I'd like"

"You know I thought it was funny, before all this that a prince would willingly go into the sewers with nary a complaint"

"oh… I thought it humorous a soldier had many a complaint"

"I've waded through a lot of foul things, mud, swamp water, cow manure, politics, but none as fouls as the sewers of Bowerstone"

The smell… oh God! the smell it was so bad all the rotting shit and whatever else people dumped in here all blended together to make something truly foul. Despair couldn't stand it the fumes were getting to him, he felt dizzy. Ben noticed as much, Despair began to stagger his path was zigzagging. And more than once he slipped and tripped over his own feet.

"Despair are you okay?"

"I'm fine"

They continued and after a few more minutes of miserable trudging they saw the dim swampy light of the exit to Mourningwood. Ben sped up his pace slightly, Despair lagged behind slightly. They emerged from the sewer tunnel into the foggy swamp air of Mourningwood. The first thing Ben did was take a deep breath of the musty air of Mourningwood. It smelled faintly of death, and mostly of swamp. Then he heard a splash behind him. Despair had collapsed into the runoff of the sewer he wasn't unconscious and was trying to get up again. But he slipped and then threw up.

"Jesus man, It wasn't that foul"

"I shmmeell it all… c-can't get rid of that smell"

Ben helped him to his feet. Despair leaned on Ben and they walked… well more like they stumbled a short distance away from the opening of the sewer.

"r-r-red dead lights, twittering in the night, I want to be there too" Despair muttered obviously delusional.

"I think that the stink's gone to your head there Despair"

"can't go to something I've lost a long time ago" giggled Despair.

Ben sat Despair against a tree on a relatively dry patch of dirt.

"Sit and take a breather there" grunted Despair as he dropped him on the ground.

"Can't escape that smell" Muttered Despair.

"We're away from the sewers nothing but the sweet swampy scent of Mourningwood"

"It's not the swamp it's sunk into the soil, the smell is everywhere"

"Quit babbling it's making _me_ crazy, What kind of smell are you going on about"

"The stench of Death"

Suddenly a great deal of blue will-o-wisps came from seemingly nowhere and plunged into the ground all around the two rogue heroes. From every point a light hit the ground the dirt trembled. Then dozens of them came up from the soil. Hollow men, the withered remains of the thousands dead from years past forgotten or buried in the soil of mourningwood. They were now in real danger and at the moment Despair was down for the count. Ben drew his cutlass and his pistol as a hollow man dressed in the tattered garb of a spanish conquistador attacked. It attacked with an overhead swing of it's rusty mace. Ben blocked it and shot it point blank right between the eye sockets. The skull shattered into a thousand pieces of rotten bone. Then the rest of it just collapsed into a pile of useless bones. But with the downing of one hollow man there was always another one to take it's place. Soon Ben was completely surrounded and cut off from Despair, and hope of escape. This however did not stop him from trying. His only thought was that there was no way in hell he was going to die like this. Hollow man after hollow man fell under his blade, but there was always another one to take it's place. Then another one came from the ground it was different though it was huge and only partially rotten. Ben raised his pistol but it was shot out of his hand by one of the hollow men. The second after the gun left his and he gripped the handle of his sword with both hands. And swung it as hard as he could at the filthy corpse. His blade met the undead creatures blade and shattered it, then cut deep and got lodged in the hollow man's side. Ben no longer had a weapon and he still faced the Hollow men. The huge one roared and summoned more of its comrades. All seemed hopeless until suddenly a grey blur rushed past him. Despair used a hollow man as a springboard, then latched on to the huge ones back. It tried to shake him off thrashing around wildly and ramming against nearby trees and boulders. He dug his fingers into the flesh of the hollow mans lower jaw and pulled it's head up until the whole thing tore free. Decapitating the foul corpse. Without the head it collapsed into a useless pile of bones the wisp that controlled it disappearing into the fog of the swamp. And Despair fell on to the ground flat on his back, it knocked the wind out of him with an, "oof". Seconds later he was on his feet again and he and Ben were back to back facing off against the horde.

"You alright?" asked Despair.

"Yeah, but I should be asking you the same you damn near passed out a minute ago"

"I know the smell scrambled my head a little. What did I miss?"

"Hollow men, you missed a lot of hollow men"

"Well obviously"

The hollow men just kept on coming and the two fought together like clockwork. And they were knocking down enemies left and right tearing the rotten bones apart with their bare hands. But the hordes of the undead were too many in number for the two to deal with. They were soon overwhelmed again. When suddenly the hollow men all just burst apart the wisps powering them retreating into the swamp.

"Well it seems you've found a spot of trouble" a voice said from the fog surrounding them.

They turned squinting through the fog trying to see who it was. Until the figure approached them and they could see who it was. None other than the most slimy businessman in Albion. He was holding a pistol that was still smoking in one hand and his walking stick in the other.

"Reaver!?" the two said in unison.

"It's nice to see that your powers of observation are as sharp as ever" Reaver said sarcastically.

"Are you here just to insult us?" Ben asked.

"on the contrary, I came to help you and it seems right in the nick of time"

"Thanks for that but why else are you here?" Despair asked.

"Why must you assume that I have some second motive for helping the former friend of the last king ,and his new… associate?" Asked Reaver.

"Because you're Reaver you always have a second motive or some kind of blackmail" said Ben.

"Well I can't argue with that…"

"just stop stalling and tell us why you're here"

"Alright.. I was sent here"

"By who?" Despair asked.

"Teresa the seeress of the tattered spire"

"She spoke to you… she spoke to YOU!?" Despair said thoroughly surprised.

"Wait Who's this Teresa person?" asked Ben.

Reaver and Despair ignored him and continued on.

"Is it that shocking?" Reaver asked smugly.

"She guided me through my rise to power; she hasn't spoken to me since my fall from the throne. So why would she speak to you?" Demanded Despair.

"How should I know... that women is an enigma, even more so now than she was seventy years ago"

"...?!"

"Oh come now you must know the stories about your father and the three heroes, when they defeated lord Lucien"

"Yes what of it?"

Suddenly the world froze and went colorless; all except for Reaver and Despair. A point of white light appeared in the air a few feet away from them. White fog poured from it forming a familiar glowing white portal. Despair was thoroughly confused by this. Then A woman's voice came from out of nowhere it was Teresa's the seeress' voice.

"Step into the portal and all will be explained" she said.

"Damn witch" Despair muttered.

"Well are you going to enter or what?"

"What would she have to say that could change anything?"

Reaver shrugged and walked into the portal. Despair stood ready to move at a moment's notice. He looked at Ben frozen in time, then back to the portal, then Ben, And the portal.

"Son of a Bitch!" He shouted as he ran through the portal.

As he went through the portal there was a flash of white. Then he saw the sky rimmed by an odd type of stone that he could hear… Beating?

After a brief moment of weightlessness he fell, and the circle of sky grew ever smaller.


	4. Balverines

**Author note: $%! just got weird will our hero survive?… of course he will! he's Despair! Also some of his girlfriend issues and stuff…**

 **this chapter is gonna be about the real-time adventures of Despair,**

 **Link, and Relia.**

He was falling faster every second, the issue was he couldn't even see the ground of this place. And he had no idea where this place even was. Suddenly the blackness dissipated and the ground was revealed. Despair was about six feet from it when…

 _Despair stopped his story and looked around at the forest surrounding them. His tail twitched nervously, and his eyes darted from tree to tree. Twigs snapped in the darkness nearby. They were being watched by an unseen enemy; he just knew that. Slowly Despair pulled his rapier which was resting against the log, closer to his side._

" _What is it ?" asked Link._

 _Despair narrowed his eyes "There's something in the woods"_

" _What!?"_

" _Shush they're close by" Despair whispered._

" _Who are they?" Link whispered._

" _I can't tell yet"_

 _The fire turned blue, flared up and died to no more than embers leaving the two in total darkness. Link felt something around his waist, it was despair's tail. Suddenly he was lifted off the ground. The way he was being shaken around slightly he knew that despair was climbing. link was dropped on a tree branch that he clinged to for dear life._

" _Despair where are you?" Link whispered._

" _I'm right next to you" Despair answered._

 _Link could scarcely see a thing besides the dim light of the dying embers below. Suddenly that one visible point was blocked out by something large. The sound of fingernails scraping across bark came from next to him; Link was scared. Below them the thing moved away from the embers. They could hear it sniffing, searching for the two in the tree above it. The sound of fingernails on wood came again louder until the wood of the tree crunched._

" _Despair?"_

" _White Balverine" Despair growled._

 _Then Despair lept from the tree branch that they were on and onto the creature below. For Despair this maneuver was easy; even in the dark he could see. So He was at the advantage, but Balverines could also see in Dark; not as well as tieflings though. Link clung to the tree as the sounds of conflict began below him. Despair had his rapier and was trying to get a good angle in order to kill the beast. But it's violent attempt to get Despair off it's back were dashing his attempts to do so. The beast slammed into the tree link was in trying to get Despair off. Despair lost his grip and the Balverine yanked Despair off and threw him. Despair hit the remains of the camp fire making them flare up. His cloak caught fire illuminating the area around them. Though his face was shadowed by his hood Link could see Despair's eyes glowing red. He tore off his cloak and threw it to the ground. The flames turned blue and the balverine shrieked they hated blue flames. It jumped into the branches above them near Link, where despair lost sight of it. The blue flames were spreading consuming the dry leaves and pine needles on the forest floor. Despair looked up into the branches searching for the beast, he saw link trembling clinging to the tree. The balverine was silently creeping towards him through the branches. Link was afraid he could hear the trees creaking he knew that the balverine was close. Then he felt its hot breath on his neck, and could hear it breathing._

" _Link!" Despair shouted._

 _Link looked behind his shoulder, The beast's eyes glowed in the dark a sickly green. Everything seemed to go in slow motion the balverine was about to slash Link with its claws. Suddenly Despair was between link and the balverine. Its claws raked across Despairs face, his blood splattered across the balverine and the tree branches. Then he lunged at the beast slicing its head from its shoulders. The dead Balverine fell to the ground into the fire that was quickly growing in size. Despair hopped back to the branch that Link was on. Link was still clinging to the branch digging his nails into the bark, with his eyes squeezed shut. The wind picked up and was blew a mess of embers towards the tree that Despair and Link were in. Soon it and the trees surrounding it caught fire._

" _Link we have to go now" Despair said prying link from the tree._

" _I-is it gone?" Link asked._

" _Yes link and it's never going to come back"_

" _What was it?"_

" _No time to explain, the forest is burning"_

 _Despair crouched and link clung to his back. As the tree fell burning into oblivion. Despair jumped from the tree onto the ground about twelve feet from the clearing that was now up in flames. Then Despair ran following a creek through the dense trees._

" _Relia!" Despair called._

 _further down the creek they spotted her sitting on a fallen tree beside the creek. When she saw Link and Despair she stood._

" _Despair what's going on what happened?"_

 _Despair grabbed her hand and pulled her along. The forest was burning like a dry box of matches._

" _No time to explain, fought a were-beast, set the forest on fire my usual bad luck" Despair said as they ran._

 _Somehow Despair knew this terrain he'd been here before. He wasn't sure until now, but he knew that this place was his home… Albion. Overgrown with forests and monsters but it was his home none the less. The trees began to thin until there was just grass and shrubs; at the edge of a large lake. Bowerstone lake._

" _Relia you can use ice magic. Can you use this lake to put out the forest fire?" Despair asked._

" _Well maybe…"_

" _I'm not asking if maybe you can I'm asking if you can!"_

" _y-yes…"_

" _Okay we'll get to that island in the center then.. you make it snow"_

" _I-I don't know if I can do_ that"

" _Then do whatever you can just put out the flames!"_

 _Relia was scared of Despair he was different right now. She couldn't tell if it was good or bad different but she was still afraid. The water was deep and freezing cold Link was shocked still and clung to Despairs back. Relia swam behind him she was shivering as well all the way across the lake to a small island in the center. When they got there Relia began casting her ice magic on the lake water. Murmuring spells in elvish creating clouds laden with snow and ice from the lake water. The air got colder and colder their breath came in great clouds drifting into the sky. Relia began to breath faster and faster short shallow gasping breaths. Then the snow fell across the forest pelting it with frozen white crystals. Link was sat dazed on the now cold ground. Relia fell backwards exhausted by her magical exertions. Despair was there in a second her caught her and gently lowered her to the ground._

 _hours later_

 _Relia awakened from her slumber surrounded by snow and ash. She sat up and looked around, something touched her hand. Link was curled up beside her asleep, Relia smiled and brushed his hair from his eyes. He rolled over in response to her touch, he rolled away from her. Then Relia searched for Despair who was sitting on the opposite end of the tiny island. He was hunched over with his head in his hands and his knees drawn close to his chest._

" _Despair are you alright" she said quietly in almost a child like voice._

 _Despair said nothing he didn't even flinch he just sat there. Relia approached him a few shuffling steps at a time. Then was about to touch his shoulder when he stood up quite suddenly._

" _No relia I am not alright, not at all" he said suddenly._

" _Are you hurt?" Relia asked._

" _No"_

" _Then what's wrong Despair?"_

" _I am what's wrong, every time I'm around anyone or anything something bad always happens, be it a forest fire or the apocalypse"_

" _That wasn't your fault it was an accident right?"_

" _No it wasn't it! was because I can't control my own magic!"_

" _I thought you couldn't use magic"_

" _I may have stretched the truth"_

" _How much of it?" Relia asked; she was growing angry._

" _I can use magic I just chose not to because it's too dangerous, I have no control over it"_

" _What else have you lied about?"_

" _Where can I begin the list is staggering"_

" _start with that story tell me is it even true"_

" _Yes it is true"_

" _I don't believe it!" Relia shouted._

 _She stormed away but with an small issue: Relia had to use the lake water to make the snow, so the lake bed was now dry. The three comrades were still on that tiny island in the center of the lake. Except it was now a pillar of dirt in the center of a giant pit full of ancient mining equipment. And just because Despair is a magnet for bad luck especially with beasties_ Balverines _lots of them. Relia stopped at the edge of the steep decline; staring down into the dark pit below and the writhing beasts ready to taste their blood. Relia backed away from the edge: Horrified, from what she saw._

" _What are they?" she asked._

" _Balverines; they are like werewolves but wolverines Link and I were attacked by one shortly before we ran into you. can't say what color it was though it's kind of a blur; I just wanted to save Link"_

" _Why does the color matter?" Relia asked._

" _Because the ones with white fur are the alphas, and if you are hurt by one you become a balverine as well"_

" _So why would it be bad if it was white?"_

 _Despair turned to Relia with a pained grin on his face so she could see the claw marks raking across his face. The blood had stopped flowing and was dried to his face like a hideous mask._

" _Then I would be in some deep trouble" Despair said quietly._

 _Below them the balverines were beginning to climb up the pillar. Despair drew his weapon: His trusted rapier forged with silver just for these types of situations. He looked up at the sky: There were clouds still overcasting the moon. Then he turned to the edge and jumped. using all of his skill he ran down the side of the pillar killing the beasts as he went. Their blood sprayed and pooled; the earth drank of it greedily sending the scent of crimson deep into the earth. Despair was enjoying himself the blood spilling, the carnage, the death, and the heat of battle. These things were what he truly lived for, despite what he lets on to others especially Link and Relia. Soon the balverines all lay dead at Despairs feet, he stood wreathed in the dark of the overcast moon. Drenched in the blood of his enemies, he laughed. Relia watched the whole thing from above and was horrified. How could that have been the same person that she had traveled with? how could that have been the same person she had grown to love in the past months? No this_ thing _that stood down there who relished in the easy destruction of living creatures. That thing was not Despair She believed that was the man from the story; the fallen king of Albion. She sensed it looking at her, its eyes glowed red in the darkness. He started towards the island and flicked the blood from his sword and . At the bottom directly below where Relia looked down he looked up._

" _It's still not safe here we should move on" He called up to her._

 _Relia turned around Link was still sleeping so she picked him up and tried to climb down with him on her back. But she slipped and began to fall, relia let out a small cry. Suddenly she felt Despairs strong arms around her, he had jumped to catch her. the feeling of falling was gone their eyes met for one second that felt like an eternity. She saw in his eyes though completely white were the eyes of her Despair once more._

" _I've got you"_

" _How Despair!"_

" _I would never let you fall"_

" _No how are you staying in the air?!"_

 _Despair looked down the up, they were not falling but not rising either they were floating. Link was as well just a few feet above them still peacefully sleeping._

" _Hmm… I do not know exactly, magic perhaps?"_

 _Then they suddenly they were no longer staying in the air and so the plummeted. Despair Landed first slightly off balance, he caught Relia which made him fall over, and finally Link landed on Relia. The fall finally woke up Link he sat up slightly dazed._

" _What happened?" Link asked groggily._

" _Pain happened link, pain" Despair grunted._

 _Relia and Link got up off of Despair and gave him a chance to get up. Despair got up and straightened up, you could hear crackling through his spine as he did so._

" _See uncontrollable magic" Despair said._

 _Link was confused, but Relia was not very pleased._

" _As I said it's still not safe here we should go" said Despair._

 _Despair gestured for them to follow, Link did but Relia hesitated. She was not at all happy with Despairs explanation of anything. All he seemed to answer her with, gave her more questions. Did she even know who he was anymore; did she ever know who Despair was? How could she even trust him now? How could she trust him ever again?_


	5. so where do we begin

_The three adventurers were walking through the ruined streets of Bowerstone. Only moss covered ruins were left of the once proud and glorious capital of Albion. They were quiet none of them spoke because there was nothing that they could or had to say. The sun was rising over the town but was still blotted out by the clouds that Relia had created. It was almost as if the sky was angry for the three because they refused to show it. Despair lead them through the familiar streets towards the castle. It was unsettling the level of destruction that had befallen the city; not just from time someone or something had annihilated everything. Then they came to the castle Relia and Link could just not believe it. The structure was still standing but half of it was just gone with no trace._

 _"What happened here Despair?" Link asked._

 _"I'm what happened" Despair answered._

 _"You… did all of this!"_

 _Despair nodded and continued walking._

 _"No way! there's no way that you could have done all of this Despair!" Shouted Relia._

 _"But I did"_

 _"How!?" Shouted Reila._

 _"And why Despair that's not like you!" Link shouted._

 _"How?... I can't remember; why? because I enjoyed it!"_

 _Relia was struck dumb she just couldn't believe it; he was not the same person they had entered the forest with._

 _"My father was right… you are nothing but a dirty lying Tiefling!" Relia Shouted._

 _"Please let me finish my tale before you judge me so surely"_

Despair hit the ground and all went black; he didn't even care that he could hear his own bones grinding together. When he awakened Despair found himself in a very dark place. Dark as in there was a very little amount of light; which was no problem for him because after that day years ago he found that all his senses had sharpened,especially sight. He blinked and rubbed sleep from his eyes, the he was able to see the outline of the room. But whatever the room was made from was all the same color… black which made it hard for him to tell things apart in the poor light. Suddenly a white light burst to life in the center of the room illuminating it. Despair was suddenly blinded by the sudden transition to brightness from darkness. He squinted and was able to see the shape of a women, and of Reaver.

"Welcome to the Tattered Spire your majesty" The women said.

Despair immediately recognized her as Theresa; and was suddenly filled with unquellable anger.

"You… witch this is your fault!" Despair shouted.

Reaver raised an eyebrow, and theresa was just as unphased and silent as usual.

"I don't see how your cosmetic crisis there connects with anything that theresa has done" Reaver said.

"Cosmetic… y-you think my plight is just one of pallor!" Despair shouted.

"You look just as deathly pale as usual even with that hood of yours" Reaver said.

"This hood is enchanted my true face is more horrifying than this pale mask I wear" Despair said in a low voice.

It was true how Despair looked when the hood was up. His face was replaced by a fake face the product of a low grade illusion. Very surreal you might say; it appeared as a smooth hairless, pale, even scar less mask; you couldn't even see his eye's.

"Enough of these childish squabbles! There is much to be discussed and explained" Theresa said loudly.

The most frightening part about Theresa is that she never shouted she never threatened. She only spoke calm and collected… that was what made her terrifying at times. When she spoke Despair and Reaver both fell silent.

"You two have had your differences in the past but now is not the time to be at odds with each other" Theresa said.

"It's not my fault his majesty is so sensitive to such things" Reaver said sarcastically.

"Do not call me that Reaver!" Despair growled.

"Silence" Theresa warned.

They fell silent again the seer was a force neither of them wanted to stand against.

"There is too much to be discussed now…" Theresa began.

Despair interrupted" So you keep saying… gah! Can you dim this blasted light!" he complained.

The white light dimmed and Despair was able to see better. Though the light was still at an intensity too high for Despair's sensitive eyes to be comfortable.

"There is a new threat from an old enemy it has infected Albion and none are able to see it. None save for a few special individuals … the heroes can sense it. Only one individual has the power to stop it, or the world will be doomed. It is their destiny to stop this threat and theirs alone. However you must find them before it is too late to save them. For they too have been infected by this evil that threatens Albion again." Theresa said.

"I don't suppose you'd give us a hint?" Reaver asked.

"It is true you two are heroes but this battle will require a strength greater than what you can muster"

"So who's this special hero we're supposed to be saving?" Despair asked; his annoyance evident in his voice.

"That is for you to discover on your own; there are things that even I cannot see" Theresa said.

"Well i'll have no part of it! I gave everything for this country, and they scorned me. I'm going to help Ben Finn then I'm done!" Despair shouted.

He stormed away from the two and back out into the great entrance hall of the tattered spire.

"That went better than expected" Reaver said, in his usual bored sarcastic sounding way.

"Perhaps you can convince one who has given up on living better than I?" Theresa said, hinting at the fact she wanted him to follow despair.

Reaver groaned then followed Despair; who was almost to the waterway which was the only way out of the tattered spire. Despair stopped at the edge of the stone dock looking out over the dark water. Within the tattered spire there was a harbor with only one opening into which ships could travel in and out of. It was now empty but at one point was filled with slave and guard ships; which supplied the spire with new hands to help build it. That was seventy years ago when the previous hero had defeated the corrupt lord Lucien. Since then the blind seeress Theresa was the only one to set foot here. Yet there Despair stood staring at the sliver of light which was the only other opening in the spire's seamless construction. He heard Reaver's approaching footsteps; Reaver was soon next to Despair.

"You can't change my mind even with your silver tongue" Despair said.

"I suppose not you're stubborn like your mother… she convinced me to save Albion once seventy years ago when this spire was still incomplete" Reaver said.

"Hold on… you were there! You're a Hero!?... but that was decades ago y-you can't be more than forty… at the most!" Despair said thoroughly surprised.

"You still have a lot to learn. But if you are set in your decision then… leave; tatty bye" Reaver said; waving as he started walking away.

Despair watched with contempt as reaver walked away. Then Reaver stopped and looked back adding this to his farewell.

"However If you have truly given everything to save this country once. Then what do you have to lose by saving it again?"

Reaver waved again and continued to walk away. Which left despair alone to consider Reaver's words. After reaver had already went back to theresa's chamber and several minutes after Despair stood alone.

"I must be absolutely insane" he muttered; as he went back to Theresa's chamber.

Reaver heard the approaching foot steps and smiled at Theresa.

"I suppose I do have a silver tongue" he said to her.

Despair stood in the doorway; his cloak catching a slight breeze making it flutter behind him quite dramatically.

"I thought that you vowed never to help Albion again" Reaver said.

"I've got nothing to lose… maybe this can make up for how poorly Albion remembers me" Despair said quietly.

Theresa smiled a sight that was very rare in recent years but still gave them chills.

"It is good that you've had a change of heart. Without you this mission's chances of success would surely be diminished" Theresa said.

"So… where do we begin" Reaver asked.

A country so blinded by vanity and corruption the only heroes who can save it are the ones who were forsaken by it. The most indisputable fact in this world is that it is the duty of heroes to battle corruption.


End file.
